Ichiraku RamenYa
by Vicadin-Tea
Summary: The smell of the miso and eggplant ramen, that beautiful smile and the tiny promise will be be something I will never forget. KakaNaruKaka.


Really, I wasn't waiting.

It's just that without that annoying kid here, eating noodles in this little shop got somewhat… lonelier.

* * *

Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fiction piece, meant for entertainment only. But one day, this would be the real plot for the manga once I buy over Naruto from Kishimoto-sensei. 

Warning(s): Slight AU. OCC-ness, pathetic attempts at humor and _shounen-ai_.

Ichiraku Ramen-Ya

"Sasuke-kun! Let's go have dumplings together!"

"I don't want to."

"Eh—! Come on! Sasuke-kun!!"

"…I'm leaving."

"Wait up."

"… …"

"… …"

It was a normal day after yet another mentally-draining D-rank mission.

Like always, Naruto would invite Sakura for a date and get rejected, and Sakura would in turn, invite Sasuke and get rejected. Then Sasuke would escape, with Sakura hot on his trails, and the air would be pierced with fading cries of "_Sasuke-kun—_".

Like always, the (ditched) blonde would watch the scene, dumbfounded, with his seemingly indifferent teacher, Kakashi, beside him.

And like always, Kakashi would eventually have pity on the smaller blonde and offer to have ramen with the kid (he seldom paid for their meals though). Then the two would walk together to Naruto's 'favoritest' shop in the world, with Kakashi occasionally stopping by the book store to replenish and update his stock of adult novels.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei, the old granny at my apartment once said, if you start to read dirty things, you can never pull yourself out of hell again. I think what she said is very true." Naruto remarked as he observed the cheerful gait the scarecrow was sporting after (finally) getting the latest spin-off of his 'favoritest' novel. 

Kakashi merely raised a brow and flipped to the next page.

"Hm, in that case, hell is a good place then."

"…Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, do you think there will be ramen in hell too?"

"Hm, probably. I heard Teuchi-san has recently turned into an _Icha-Icha_ fan-club member like me."

The blonde sweated.

'They have a fan club? Uwah, they are quite the _Icha Icha_ maniacs, huh…'

"Ah!!" Kakashi exclaimed abruptly. "I saw him at the sneak preview of the _Icha Icha Violence_ movie last month! He was wearing a black cap and shades but he had that ramen smell on him so I recognized him almost immediately. To be able to enter that preview screening must mean he is a hardcore fan! Uwah, I see him in a totally different light now!"

The older man finished with a respectful gleam in his eye.

"I-I see him in a totally different light now too…" Naruto mumbled with disillusioned eyes.

The nice, friendly old man that always gave him free second helpings was actually on the same level as his perverted teacher… Looks can be so deceiving.

* * *

A companionable silence reigned over the two after during their walk back (after the meal) when Kakashi suddenly chuckled. 

"W-What's wrong? I-Is it indigestion?" The boy asked, startled.

The scarecrow shook his head.

"Y-You were looking strangely at Teuchi-san the whole time just now. The poor man was so nervous he started trembling. Ahahaha… you're really mean to terrorize a senior citizen, Naruto-kun."

Naruto turned red.

"I-I can't help it! After learning about all those things, I just… Stop laughing already!!"

"Hahahahahah… Damn, you're just too adorable."

"…Really?"

"Huh?"

"Do you really find me adorable?"

"Uh, I guess."

"As adorable as Junko? That idol with C-cup and big eyes, who starred in your favorite movie?"

"…Hm?"

The smaller boy decided to change the topic when his teacher threw him confused looks.

"Hey sensei, did you know? I'll be leaving tomorrow. With the Ero-sennin (the man who will without a doubt end up in hell). He said we'll be back in three years."

"Of course I know. (He told me personally too.)"

"In that case, we wouldn't be able to eat ramen together anymore."

"It's not like we eat it every day so it's okay."

"We wouldn't be able to talk like this and walk home together either."

"It's not like we intentionally walk home together as well. Your block happens to be before mine."

"…Say sensei, how about meeting in _Ichiraku_ after I come back?"

"Huh?"

"Hm, in another three years, I would be an adult so I can live with a partner. During that time, let's meet up."

"...Hm?" Silver brows creased before obsidian eye sparkled mischievously.

"Your next sentence won't happen to be: '_we can start to live together then_' or something like that right?" He joked.

The blonde smiled and shrugged.

"Well, say however you want, I mean I want to be your lover."

"…!"

Naruto's smile widened into a grin.

"You don't have to look so shocked. You're unfriendly but reliable and nice in your aloof way, and you've been alone way longer than me so you must be better in housework than I am. Besides, you're a _Jounin_ and you always have the most missions so you have lots of money. (Though you're very stingy as well.) So that's why…"

The blonde paused and gazed into his teacher's obsidian eye.

"I want to be with you."

* * *

When he got over the surprise, Kakashi heaved an exasperated sigh. 

"…Forget it."

"Eh?! Why?!"

"You're just sleep-talking, aren't you? Besides, even if you are serious now, you'll probably forget all this when you're much older," the scarecrow explained as he walked towards the row of vending machines to get a beer.

The blonde pouted but followed the older man.

"I wouldn't. You wouldn't forget, would you?"

"I probably would."

"…You think so? But I will never forget."

"Hm, don't you know what they say? People's minds and hearts change at least a hundred times a day. You'll forget." The older man asserted and got a juice for the younger boy.

"Besides when you return, you'll grow into a fine person and there'll be lots of people waiting to be with you. Who knows? Sakura might even start to like you. When that time comes, you'll forget all about a perverted old man like me."

'So he thinks that he is perverted himself too...' The boy paused in drinking his favorite orange juice and looked deep in thought as Kakashi shifted his mask and gulped his beer quickly.

"I don't think it matters even if Sakura or anyone else likes me," Naruto said finally. "Because I like sensei's slightly worried face when he's busy eating noodles or drinking beer like this. I like it when sensei gets nervous about people touching or asking about his mask."

"…"

The blonde laughed lightly at the look his teacher shot him before continuing.

"I like how you seem uncaring when you secretly worry about people; how you smile so kindly at the homeless kids playing in the streets; how you pat my head when I did a good job during missions and even your perverted giggling when you read a particularly racy part in your book." The boy listed on his fingers as he remembered the little endearing things that Kakashi did.

"I've liked you all these time since that first time you invited me for ramen so…" Naruto whispered as he hugged the older man and cried silently. "Please don't forget this."

"I'll meet you again at the Ichiraku ramen shop when I return and like before, I'll have my seven helpings of miso ramen and you'll have your (disgusting) eggplant ramen and we'll walk home together like this. So don't cheat on me while I'm gone okay?"

* * *

That was what the brat had said five years, ten days and six hours ago. 

Really, I wasn't waiting.

It's just that without that annoying kid here, eating noodles in this little shop got somewhat… lonelier.

Especially, since I stopped getting letters and postcards from him suddenly, two years back.

_Haaa_. I wonder if it was my age; somehow, walking on this path tonight kind of reminds me of that night.

It was slightly misty then, with a full moon that wasn't completely round, just like now.

Nothing has changed at all. Except this strange feeling that almost seemed hard to bear.

Ah, I should just go back to Ichiraku for another round of eggplant ramen. Maybe then, this feeling will finally dissipate.

* * *

"Oh! Kakashi-sensei! Did you forget something?" Teuchi-san asked worriedly as I sat on the same seat and asked for the usual order— a beer and an eggplant ramen. 

In the last five years, we have been getting along as fellow members of the _Junko-Forever_ and the _Icha-Icha!_ club(s). He never stopped asking me about the golden whirlpool that had disturbed my tranquil life years ago.

"So you came back for another helping of ramen, huh? This reminds me of Naruto-kun, always having at least two bowls. So you haven't heard from him yet?"

I sighed and gestured for a second bottle of beer.

"Yeah, he disappeared. Ah, maybe he has already settled down with a pretty girl in a small village with his third child by now."

"No way, he wouldn't do that when there's a stingy, perverted, cheating old man waiting back for him here."

"…What?"

"Sensei," a pair of warm, familiar arms wrapped around my back. "I'm home."

W-What's this weird feeling in my chest?

At my silence, that voice began blabbering.

"I'm sorry, sensei! That Ero-sennin was at fault! He said I was too distracted with sending you letters and buying you souvenirs so he abducted me to a deserted mountain and made me fight with bears without my _Kage Bunshin_. Then that stupid old man went to fight with an _Onba_ for demonstration but he got careless and got knocked into a river. He lost his memories so we had to stay in the mountains until he recovered. I'm so sorry! But see! You were always late before so you understand my stand… and see all these souvenirs and special merchandise I got for you from the perverted geezer! A-And I never forget the promise so…"

The warm figure finally came into my field of vision.

His beautiful clear blue eyes stared at me before they creased into upward crescents.

"…Let's live together okay?"

"…"

"S-Sensei? Kakashi-sensei? A-Are you blushing?!"

"…You irritating brat! Dinner's on you tonight!"

"Eh—!?! Geez! And you're the first person I rush to see the second I come back…"

"…Naruto."

"Hm?"

"Welcome home."

"Teehee. Say it to me tonight (when we're alone)."

"…Idiot."

* * *

On misty nights like these with an unrounded full moon, I'll always remember the smell of miso and eggplant ramen, that beautiful smile and the Ichiraku ramen shop...

* * *

A/N) 

There are a few terms to clarify.

"Ramen-ya" translates to "ramen shop"; "sensei", "teacher"; "Icha Icha", "flirting/making out sounds".

Others include 'Naruto' terms.

"Jounin" translates to "Upper ranked ninjas"; "Kage-Bunshin", "Shadow clones"; "Onba", the gigantic parent of that cute little Pokemon-like creature that likes to be carried around; and Junko is one of the characters in the _Icha Icha_ series.

A/N 2)

Thank you for reading up to this point. (bows)

This is my first time writing a Kakashi-POV, or at least the initial draft of this had been mostly written from his POV (about eighty percent). But after re-reading it a few times, I decided to scrap most of it because Kakashi-chan's POV is really hard for me to write for some reason! XD Even then, I still think it's lacking somehow.

Anyway, drop me an R&R and let me know what you think!


End file.
